The Red Sox swung a trade with the Cardinals on Tuesday afternoon, acquiring 18-year-old right-hander Juan Garcia in exchange for left-hander Eduardo Rivera.
The deal marks Boston’s third trade of the offseason, following moves last week that sent Nate Eaton to the Athletics in exchange for minor leaguer Jareth Rayo and Tsung-Che Cheng to the Tigers in exchange for cash considerations.
It also represents the third trade between Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and his predecessor, current Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, in the past year. The two previously connected on separate deals that brought Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras from St. Louis to Boston last winter.
Rivera, who was designated for assignment by the Red Sox as part of Monday night’s 40-man roster crunch, heads to his third organization. Garcia, meanwhile, is changing organizations for the first time in his professional career after originally signing with the Cardinals as an international free agent in January 2025.
A native of Mexico, Garcia spent each of the past two seasons in the Dominican Summer League. The 6-foot-2, 187-pound righty made 11 starts for the DSL Cardinals in 2026, compiling a 4.40 ERA with 39 strikeouts to 10 walks over 43 innings in which opponents batted .257 against him. Overall, he owns a 3.87 ERA with 77 strikeouts to 14 walks in 23 outings (21 starts) and 90 2/3 innings as a pro.
Garcia, who will not turn 19 until next May, was not ranked among the Cardinals’ top 30 prospects by Baseball America or MLB Pipeline. FanGraphs previously described him as “an easy mover on the mound” who “occasionally cracks” 90 mph.
As is the case with Rayo, Garcia should be a candidate to make his stateside debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League next season, assuming the Red Sox do not move him in another deal before then.
(Picture of Eduardo Rivera: Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
